Director of Development

Trinity Washington University seeks a mission-driven, strategic, and experienced Director of Development to provide leadership across key advancement functions, including the Annual Fund, Class and Reunion Giving, Stewardship, and Records and Research, in addition to managing a major gifts portfolio. This senior role ensures cohesive, data-informed, and donor-centered fundraising strategies that strengthen philanthropic support for Trinity’s institutional priorities.

Trinity is the nation’s oldest Catholic women’s college, now a university with several coeducational units but sustaining its full-time daytime women’s college.  Trinity today enrolls a majority of Black and Hispanic students in undergraduate, graduate, certificate and dual enrollment programs.  95% of the student are female; 50% are residents of the District of Columbia, and most Trinity graduates reside in the greater Washington region.  The successful candidate must demonstrate clear expertise and enthusiasm for promoting Trinity’s historic commitments to women and a broadly diverse population of students and graduates.

The Director will supervise staff and programs in annual giving, class giving, stewardship and donor relations, and advancement services (records and research), while also actively managing major donor relationships. This full-time, on-site position requires exceptional leadership, communication, and strategic planning skills.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Department Oversight

• Provide strategic and managerial oversight of the Annual Fund, Class and Reunion Giving, Stewardship, and Records and Research teams.
• Align annual, leadership, and major giving strategies to support institutional priorities and campaign goals.
• Establish and monitor departmental goals, performance metrics, and reporting structures.

Major Gifts & Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of 75–125 major gift prospects capable of making gifts of $10,000+.
• Conduct regular donor visits, cultivation meetings, and solicitations to meet annual and campaign fundraising goals.
• Develop individualized donor cultivation and solicitation strategies.
• Prepare compelling proposals, briefings, and donor communications.

Annual Fund Leadership

• Oversee development and execution of a comprehensive multi-channel annual giving plan.
• Ensure effective strategies and segmentation for direct mail, digital campaigns, phone outreach, and annual leadership gifts.
• Collaborate with Creative Services team on messaging, appeals, and branding for annual fund initiatives.

Class & Reunion Giving Management

• Lead class-based philanthropy, including reunion campaigns and volunteer class agent programs.
• Recruit, train, and support alumnae/i volunteers.
• Set class-based fundraising goals and monitor progress.

Stewardship & Donor Relations

• Supervise the stewardship program, including donor recognition, acknowledgment processes, and donor impact reporting.
• Ensure consistent, timely, and accurate stewardship for all donor segments.
• Support development of giving societies and recognition events.

Records & Research Oversight

• Oversee advancement services, including donor records, gift processing, data integrity, and research.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting, prospect research, and data analytics.
• Establish policies and best practices for data management and confidentiality.

Campaign & Strategic Fundraising Leadership

• Support design, execution, and reporting for special campaigns, including capital and endowment initiatives.
• Work with the Vice President for Development to drive overall fundraising strategy.
• Collaborate with campus partners on priority-setting and fundraising alignment.

Donor & Volunteer Engagement

• Cultivate and steward relationships with alumnae/i, families, foundations, and friends of Trinity.
• Engage volunteer leaders, trustees, and class committees in fundraising activities.
• Represent Trinity at events, receptions, and donor programs.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• On-campus, office-based position with regular donor travel in the region.
• Evening and weekend work required for donor meetings, campus events, and campaign activities.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of professional experience in higher education advancement or a closely related nonprofit fundraising field.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with diverse populations, including racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse communities.
• Proven success in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities.
• Experience with CRM/fundraising database systems (Raiser’s Edge) and comfort using data to inform strategies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work collaboratively across teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education or nonprofit major gifts fundraising.
• Experience with organizing and executing annual funds
• Familiarity with capital campaigns and class-led fundraising.
• Understanding of donor segmentation, prospect research, and moves management.
• Knowledge of Trinity Washington University’s mission and donor community.

Competencies and Attributes

• Strategic, forward-thinking, and goal-driven.
• Highly collaborative with strong relationship-building skills.
• Professional presence with the ability to represent Trinity to high-level donors.
• Commitment to Trinity’s mission as a women-centered, minority-serving institution.

Trinity offers comprehensive and competitive benefits to full-time employees to include Health, Dental & Vision insurance, Employer Paid Life and Disability benefits, 403(b) Retirement plan with employer match up to 6%, Paid Family Leave, Trinity Center Membership Free to all employees to include full size pool, walking track, weight & Cardio equipment, Free campus parking, Free Shuttle bus between campus & Brookland Metro station and more.

Trinity is dedicated to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its students, faculty and staff. Trinity is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive community and strongly encourages all qualified individuals to apply.